UMF graduating seniors intern with local law enforcement to understand police burnout

University coordinated internships provide real-world learning opportunities

FARMINGTON, ME  (April 27, 2026)—University of Maine at Farmington graduating seniors Grace White, from Waldoboro, and Sydney Booth, from Waterbury, Conn., weren’t surprised to see each other at the Farmington Police Station. They both majored in psychology at UMF and shared a common interest—serving valuable University coordinated internships under the leadership of Farmington Police Chief Kenneth Charles to better understand police burnout and the crossover between psychology and law enforcement.

Both students are interested in forensic psychology—applying psychological principles to law enforcement—to improve officer wellbeing, community relations and public safety. 

They spoke about their internship interests with their professor, Karol Maybury, UMF professor of psychology, who had been in discussion with Charles about the positive impact psychology could have on traditional police work and how it could help both the officers and the community. 

White and Booth ended up working as an intern team at the Police Department two days a week during the spring semester. They wanted to learn everything they could about law enforcement and what officers experience routinely, particularly about mental health in the community, and soon developed a comradery and positive learning relationship with Charles and his officers and staff.

“We were inspired by the officers’ composure and kindness during difficult times,” said White. “It takes experiencing what law officers go through every day to understand how demanding their job is.”

Chief Charles, a 1995 UMF grad, had spoken to students in a Forensic Psychology class as a guest speaker. He understood the importance of psychology knowledge for his officers in addition to their training at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. Eighty percent of his officers are certified in Crisis Intervention Training  and have advanced de-escalation skills in comparison to the 20% required by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy.

“In today’s world officers need a lot of tools in their tool box,” said Charles. “My intent is to make sure my officers have the skills that can help them defuse challenging situations and make good mental health decisions for themselves while also opening new pathways for officer candidates with these critical skills.”

During their research, the students reviewed department policy and training procedures, interviewed officers, discussed scenarios and helped any way they could. They kept journals of their observations on scenarios encountered and explored how to navigate the challenges that police officers experience every day.

“Chief Charles has been so gracious and supportive of our efforts,” said Booth. “He recognizes the importance of resilience in his officers and emphasizes how knowledge of psychology can help diffuse difficult situations rather than escalate them.”

In addition to working at the police station, the students also visited some of the many community partners and organizations that help police understand neighborhood needs, reduce stereotypes and build capacity and trust between officers and the community. These included Sweetser, the Department of Human Services, the Sexual Assault Prevention & Response Services (SAPARS) in Farmington, and the new behavioral health unit under construction at Maine Health.  Charles also helped connect Booth with Supervisor Logan Pardilla, the Penobscot Nation Game Warden.

“I am so proud of Grace and Sydney and their personal commitment to better understand and help alleviate officer burnout,” said Charles. “I am looking forward to their findings and how we can help both our officers and our communities work together to foster a stronger and safer community .”

Prior to her internship, Booth volunteered for two years at SAPARS and is dedicated to helping people conquer the worst moments of their lives. After graduation, she is volunteering at a Connecticut hospital with their crisis intervention team. Her goal is to work in crisis intervention. She is writing a thesis on criminal justice with Native Americans and Non-Native Americans on and off reservation land. She also plans to submit a poster about the police burnout study to the New England Psychological Association Conference at Salem State University in the fall.

White said her experience working with the Farmington Police Dept. has impressed on her the importance of public service. She saw how challenging some situations are and how dedicated Farmington law enforcement members are to protecting the community. She is writing a correlational research paper on the Big 5 personality traits and burnout in law enforcement. She hopes to work full-time in the mental health field and is enrolled in University of Maine’s 3-year Master of Social Work program.

“It has been a weekly highlight to read and respond to Grace and Sydney’s journal entries about their valuable experiences with the FPD. The intersection of first responder work and psychology has been a profound capstone to their UMF Psychology education,” said Maybury.

More on University of Maine at Farmington

A nationally recognized regional public university, the University of Maine at Farmington is known for its commitment to teacher preparation, the creative arts, health and science, environmental studies, business and public service. Located in the heart of Maine’s four-season outdoor recreational region, UMF provides a challenging but welcoming academic community—here in Farmington and online—that prepares students for enriching professional careers, engaged citizenship and an enduring love of learning.

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EDITOR’S NOTE:

Image: https://farmington.edu/app/uploads/2026/04/RP256-036A.webp
Photo Caption: (Left to right) UMF student interns Grace White and Sydney Booth with Farmington Police Chief Kenneth Charles
Photo Credit: UMF Image

Image: https://farmington.edu/app/uploads/2026/04/RP256-036B.webp
Photo Caption: Farmington Police Chief Charles shows student interns the interactive use of force simulator. This tool simulates stressful situations in a safe environment prior to officers being exposed in the field.
Photo Credit: UMF Image

Image: https://farmington.edu/app/uploads/2026/04/RP256-036C.webp
Photo Caption: (Left to right) Chief Charles and UMF interns Sydney Booth and Grace White review Maine statutes.
Photo Credit: UMF Image

Image: https://farmington.edu/app/uploads/2026/04/RP256-036D.webp
Photo Caption: Farmington Police Sergeant Ethan Boyd introduces UMF interns Sydney Booth and Grace to his K9 partner “Hook” who provides a valuable service sniffing out and reacting to illicit substances.
Photo Credit: UMF Image